Question

The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) has established guidelines for the ethical practice of engineering. Discuss how these guidelines would apply to (a) an engineering company, and (b) an individual engineer working for an industrial firm.

Answer 1

Engineering profession has vital and huge impact on quality of life of people. Quality compromise from engineers' side can put many lives in danger. hence, engineers are required to perform their task with highest degree of perfection and ethics. Nationa; society of professional engineers has defined guidelines for ethical practice of engineering to be followed by all engineers, engineering firms or any other organization performing the engineering projects.

a) How guidelines will be applied to an engineering company-

There are main fundamentals of ethics defined in the code. and each point can be viewed differntely for a company and for an individual.

(a) Engineering company -

1) Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public - If we look from company's point of view we can say, a company should have proper safety standards on place and it should ensure the proper compliance at site. A company should not be involved in any practice which can endanger the life of any human. Company should have proper system in place to ensure that only proper documents get approved from its side. They should not do any business with fraudulents.

2) Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence -

Company should take projects for which it has expertise. They should have proper system in place to verify any documents after proper verification from experience personnel.

3) Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner -

Company should verify that any document/ report being generated from their name is properly verified and true. Company should make sure that no statement on technical matters is made from its name which is not true and inspired by other interested parties,

4) Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees -

A company should not be involved with two companies facing comptetion.

5) Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts -

A company should not misproject its qualification to complete the project or take up an assignment.

(a) Individual engineer -

1) Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public - Engineer should ensure that proper safety standards are maintained at his site. he should ensure that proper documentations of safety, health are maintained as records and can be shown when asked.

2) Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence -

An engineer only should take up the job of his/ her expertise, he/ she should not be involved in the work which he/ she doesn't know fully and has never worked on.

3) Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner -

An engineer should properly verified all the drawings and documentations being released from his side. Quality reports should be properly checked and signed.

4) Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees -

An engineer should be very careful while working with companies having competetions. They should not disclose private information of one company to other.

5) Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts -

An engineer should not misled the company about his qualifications to take up job.